“Do thoughts war against us? Prayer is a great weapon. The attraction of sin pulls the mind towards evil. But when the mind takes hold of the ax of prayer and lifts it and begins to hop, it uproots even the hardest of thoughts. As long as one gets a good grip of the ax and wields it skillfully, it really brings about wonderful results.
Because the devil knows this, he hinders us from saying the prayer so that he can capture us more easily. He brings negligence upon us; he brings us cares; he brings us a thousand and one obstacles with the sole aim of hindering prayer. As experience has shown many times, the demons shudder at the name of Christ. They themselves admit, through people’s mouths, that they are burned when a person prays.”
– ‘Counsels from the Holy Mountain’